Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) host media content like movies, music, and the like. For many media content transfers, two CDNs are used: an upstream CDN (uCDN) and a downstream CDN (dCDN). The uCDN collects media content and/or associated content metadata from various content sources. The uCDN selects dCDNs to deliver the media content to user devices. The dCDN selection is often based on the proximity and transport efficiency of the selected dCDN to a given user device. The interactions between the uCDN and the dCDN are carried out over CDN Interface (CDNI) signaling. The CDNI signaling indicates control, footprint, request routing, metadata, and logging information.
Internet Protocol (IP) access networks are often used as dCDNs due to their proximity to the user devices. Exemplary IP access networks include wireless communication networks, cable television networks, fiber optic data networks, Ethernet access systems, and satellite communication systems. The IP access networks allocate and translate IP addresses for their user devices to facilitate these IP communications.
Wireless communication networks, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, often have associated equipment at the user location. For example, many users have wireless femtocells and Local IP Access (LIPA) systems that are coupled to the Internet and enhance wireless coverage in their home, business, school, or the like. These femtocells and LIPA systems also allocate and translate IP addresses for their user devices to facilitate IP communications.
In addition to wireless network equipment, many users also deploy Local Area Networks (LANs) to transfer IP communications over protocols like Wireless Fidelity (Wifi) and Ethernet. The LANs may be coupled to various media servers that store media content. For example, a Universal Plug and Play (uPnP) server may provide video content to a user television in IP communications over the LAN.
Unfortunately, the content of CDNI signaling and the level CDN interaction is not effective in this environment. The use of CDNs at the user site in coordination with wireless network CDNs, landline ISP CDNs, and core Internet CDNs is not efficient or robust enough to properly distribute media content to wireless user communication devices.